Piggyback rolling-contact bearing assembly

Abstract

A rolling-contact bearing assembly includes an inner guide member having a U-shaped cross section, an outer guide member having a U-shaped cross section and arranged to substantially enclose the inner guide member as oriented in the same direction in a piggyback fashion, and rolling members interposed between the inner and outer guide members to allow a relative motion therebetween. Such a piggyback arrangement is advantageous in enhancing the structural integrity of the assembly and making the assembly smaller in size.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A rolling-contact bearing assembly comprising: first guide means having a generally U-shaped cross section having a flat bottom wall and a pair of side walls extending from both sides of said flat bottom wall;   second guide means having a generally U-shaped cross section, having a flat bottom wall and a pair of side walls extending from both sides of said flat bottom wall, and arranged to substantially enclose said first guide means as oriented in the same direction;   rolling means interposed between siad first and second guide means for allowing a relative motion between said first and second guide means; and   fixing means for fixing said first and second guide means to first and second desired objects, respectively, whereby said fixing means is provided at the flat bottom wall of each of said first and second guide means.   
     
     
       2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said first guide means includes at least one first guide groove and said second guide means includes at least one second guide groove facing to said first groove thereby defining a guide passage, whereby said rolling means is positioned to move along said guide passage. 
     
     
       3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein said rolling means includes a plurality of balls. 
     
     
       4. The assembly of claim 3 further comprising retaining means for retaining said plurality of balls as spaced apart from each other over a predetermined interval. 
     
     
       5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said fixing means includes at least one first threaded hole provided in the flat bottom wall of said first guide means and at least one second threaded hole provided in the flat bottom wall of said second guide means. 
     
     
       6. The assembly of claim 5 wherein said first object includes a ridge-like projection and said first guide means is fixedly attached to said first object as straddling said projection. 
     
     
       7. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said first guide means includes an elongated first guide member having a first length in the longitudinal direction of said assembly and said second guide means includes an elongated second guide member having a second length in said longitudinal direction.